Barbados 1 – 1 Northern Ireland

Oh Dear. Barbados started strongly and hit the woodwork, before James Quinn had a header disallowed. Everything went completely pear shaped when Mark Williams was sent off after half an hour after a clash with with the ridiculously named Kenroy Skinner, and arguing with the referee. Skinner then proceeded to give the home side the lead 5 minutes before half time. The Ulstermen nearly salvaged an equaliser just before the interval, but Healy’s shot from the edge of the box was tipped behind for a corner.
After the restart it was Barbados turn to have a goal disallowed, with a 50th minute strike ruled out. After this Northern Ireland began to get more in control of the match, and a handball in the box in the 67th minute gave Sanchez’ men a penalty. Preston NE’s Player of the Season hit the spot kick against the post, and things were looking pretty bad again.
Healy however made up for this on the 71st minute when he fired home a loose ball after a goalmouth scramble.
Unsurprisingly, Lawrie Sanchez was not a happy man at the final whistle and laid into both the referee and the playing surface:
“The surface was not what we expected, to be honest to you. It really affected how we played.
The referee also made some interesting decisions and that affected how the team related to him.”
Sanchez also said that we need to stop letting the referee’s performance put us off:
“We’ve got to learn not to let the refereeing affect us.
Too many of the players got into arguments with the referee over decisions he made and that really affected our game.
It is something that we will have to work on in the next two games. ”
Overall he was happy with a draw considering Williams’ dismissal:
“Although I would have wanted to win the game, I think when all things are considered we did pretty well to come away with a draw.
We are disappointed not to have won the game but having gone down to 10 men in the first half, this result was the best I could have hoped for.
Barbados played well and they probably deserved their lead. We fought hard and I am happy that we did not lose the game.”
Taylor, Baird (Jones 67), Williams, Craigan, Capaldi (Elliot 67), Gillespie (Murdock 46), Johnson, Sonner (McVeigh 67), Mulryne (Smith 46), Quinn, Healy (Hamliton 80).
Not used: Ingham
News Letter Man of the Match: James Quinn

Tommy Doc’s Bristol City lost Play-Off Final

If Northern Ireland star Tommy Doherty stays with Bristol City he will be playing in the Second Division again next year, after his side lost 1-0 to Brighton in yesterday’s Play-Off Final. City had looked on course for automatic promotion, but a terrible end of season run saw QPR pip them to 2nd place on the last day of the season.
The Bristol Skipper played well as usual, the only City player to be given an 8 by the BBC for a ‘cultured performance’ which ‘proved why he is so important with a series of important interceptions and forceful runs.’
Speaking after the match, ex-Northern Ireland player Danny Wilson said:
“It’s a massive disappointment, and to say the players are shattered is an understatement, but we know the format of the play-offs and we’ve nothing to be ashamed of after a terrific season.”

Kirk move confirmed

After rumbling on for at least a week now, Andy Kirk’s move from Hearts to 3rd Division Boston United was finally completed.
Financial difficulties at Hearts meant that Kirk had to leave, and although he could have joined another SPL club, Boston were offering more money. One United fansite has called the move ‘arguably the biggest signing of all third division teams so far this summer’.
Boston boss Steve Evans said: “It shows that quality attracts quality and we are very satisfied.”
The move doesn’t do Kirk’s chances of adding many more to his 5 NI caps much good, but considering how far down the pecking order the 25 year old already was, it’s probably a sensible move.

Dowie’s Eagles Hit Heights

Iain Dowie and Michael Hughes will make their returns to the English Premiership next year, after Crystal Palace won the First Division Play-Off Final.
A Neil Shipperley goal was enough to win the game for Palace, who were 4th from bottom of the English First Division when Northern Ireland legend Dowie took over. Shipperley’s goal came just minutes after former Norn Iron captain, Steve Lomas, forced the ‘save of the match’ from Nico Vaesen, with the goalkeeper making a superb one handed stop to keep out Lomas’ volley. Michael Hughes also had an effort cleared off the line in the first half.
The win completes a remarkable turnaround for Crystal Palace this season, and guarantees them a minimum of £25 Million. The Hammers will get nothing, and whether they can afford to keep their highest earners, such as Carrick and Lomas, remains to be seen.

Hughes Interview

Michael Hughes is interviewed in today’s Belfast News Letter, ahead of this afternoon’s First Division Play-Off Final. Much of the interview focuses on his time out of the game and his anguish at not even being allowed by the FA to train with a club, as covered by Total Football magazine last year. However he also talks about his time at Crystal Palace and what a big influence Ian Dowie has been on him, and how he feels he could go on playing for another 5 or 6 years as a result of Dowie’s training methods.
“Ian’s a motivator. I’ve seen 20 professional footballers sitting quietly waiting for him to speak before kick-off and you can’t hear a pin drop (surely he means you could? – Steve). I don’t know any other manager throughout my career who’s ever held an audience or had that much influence over people. No-one else has had the same impact on me.”
Hughesy can even look back on those dark days with a positive attitude:
“It’s definitely driven me on. It’s probably lengthened my career and given me a great insight into what it’s going to be like when I end my career. I appreciate football now more than I ever have. Looking back I would probably go through it again just for those insights.”
Being a backward sort of paper, the News Letter isn’t online on a Saturday, so the only way to read it is to actually go out and buy it.

Whitley to join up with squad late

Jeff Whitley has been given permission to join the Northern Ireland squad two days late – so he can attend his brother’s wedding.
Whitley is best man at brother Jim’s big day in Manchester tomorrow.
The Sunderland midfielder thought he would have to miss out after last week being named in Northern Ireland’s squad for the three-game tour of the Caribbean. The squad flies out today but boss Lawrie Sanchez has given Whitley the go-ahead to link up with them on Sunday.
The Black Cats man said: “It’s a good gesture by the manager – it’s a big day for the family.”
It means Whitley will miss the tour’s opening game, against Barbados (ko 1am Monday BST), but he will arrive in time to play against St. Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago next week.
Jeff and Jim Whitley were together at Manchester City for five years. Jim, the elder of the two, now plays for Wrexham.

Lomas wants to put one over Dowie / Ingham boost

West Ham midfielder Steve Lomas is ready to deliver a cruel blow to the man who persuaded him to move to Upton Park – Crystal Palace boss Iain Dowie.

Lomas joined The Hammers from Manchester City in March 1997 when his then-Northern Ireland colleague Dowie was playing for the club. Dowie was instrumental in selling West Ham to Lomas but friendship will be put to one side on Saturday as the two London clubs go head-to-head in the Division One play-off final.
With sentiment out of the window, Lomas is desperate to put one over Dowie and help The Hammers to reclaim a spot in The Premiership.
“He was at West Ham when I first came and was probably one of the big reasons why I joined the club,” said Lomas of Dowie.
“He just told me about West Ham when I was away with Northern Ireland at the time the transfer was going through.
Iain is a keen West Ham fan but I can assure you he will have them wound right up for the game on Saturday.
He has done a fantastic job, beyond belief really.
I have spent most of my career in the top flight and feel I still have a few more years left in it so I am looking forward to getting back there.”
http://skysports.planetfootball.com/Article.asp?id=205603
In other news Thomas Myhre, still annoyed that Healy scored THAT goal against him, wants to leave Sunderland rather than be 3rd choice keeper behind Mart Poom and Northern Ireland’s Michael Ingham. Ingham could well make his Norn Iron debut in the Caribbean in the coming days.

Carroll’s agent

An interesting piece in the Independent entitled ‘Bad moves: Four deals that have stained United’s name’ reveals that Roy Carroll’s agent was paid £300k to ‘persuade’ Carroll to leave Wigan.
“The greatest question of all the transfers conducted in Sir Alex Ferguson’s name was why anyone needed to be paid £300,000 to “persuade” Roy Carroll to leave Wigan Athletic to join the biggest club in world football.
Carroll was signed through the Elite agency in July 2001 as cover for Fabien Barthez, although by the end of the 2002-3 season the Ulsterman had performed well enough to have ousted the French World Cup winner from United’s side. He also briefly replaced Tim Howard for a number of games, including the FA Cup semi-final victory over Arsenal.
For a player of Carroll’s quality the size of the fee was not excessive, although the amount paid to the Elite agency most certainly was. Under Fifa recommendations, an agent is supposed to take up to five per of the transfer fee as a commission, but Elite’s cut was more than double that. And what was there to discuss? At the time that the transfer was first put to Wigan, their manager was Steve Bruce, a long-time friend of Ferguson, while Carroll was short of options, with proposed moves to first Leicester and then Everton having broken down.”

Feeney move agreed in principle – McIlroy

Sammy McIlroy on Warren Feeney in the Stockport Express:
“We (Stockport) are also pursuing Warren Feeney. Bournemouth are haggling over the fee, but the move has been agreed with the lad in principle.”

Northern Ireland unveil Nationwide as sponsor

Northern Ireland have secured a 2 year sponsorship deal from the Nationwide Building Society. The deal is worth £200,000 over the two years.

Nationwide’s Head of Sports Marketing, Peter Gandolfi said: “We are delighted with the presence we have built in Northern Ireland through football. We hope that our support of the Northern Ireland team will enable us to become an even more integral part of the community and the football family.”
IFA president Jim Boyce said the deal would provide “much-needed support to the national team”.
“This is a ground breaking deal for Northern Ireland,” said Boyce. Both the Irish FA and Nationwide share the same objectives – good community relations and full commitment to the principle of fair play.”
Meanwhile, Lawrie Sanchez says his target for the Caribbean tour is that his team go through the three-match tour unbeaten. “It’s a big ask when you consider that Barbados (what a joke) and Trinidad & Tobago are above us in the world rankings,” said Sanchez.
“I want the players to believe they can do something in the World Cup group. If we can go into the Poland game on the back of a five-match unbeaten run, it will give us confidence.”